War of the Worlds

The show is not bad so much as just a super slow pace. I feel like they could have made the show like a 10 hour limited series and picked up the whole pace of the show instead of making everything move so slow and methodical. I'd give it an 8 if they had squeezed all the story from both seasons along with an ending into those 10 hours.

It only needed 4 episodes tops, maybe 3. I detest when creators deliberately stretch plots to get multiple seasons. Do it right or don't do it at all.

I have to say I had an advantage in that I speak both English and French fluently, therefore I did not need subtitles, but the story itself is interesting enough that I don't believe subtitles would diminish the experience.

It was refreshing to watch an apocalyptic event that had nothing to do with Americans, and although the action is fairly minimal with more attention being paid to human interaction, it was fairly enjoyable with mostly good acting throughout.

I also enjoyed the fact that someone in the show actually pointed out what I always think during this type of story; Why would aliens attack Earth when the resources available here are readily available elsewhere in the galaxy? Although the question is not exactly answered at the conclusion of the first season, we come to have a general idea as to what is going on, if not the details.

I would recommend this so long as they produce a second season.

First problem with this is that some parts go on too long and should have been edited out or episodes cut.

Second the Aliens seem clothed from a charity shop and their spaceship seems like a public toilet and fact they haven't developed weapons more effective than guns.

Third, there are many holes in the plot; like after Bill Ward is stabbed the 1st time, why isn't he guarded more closely by the main guy with the machine gun. Why do those mechanical/robot dogs seem to disappear in the 2nd series?

The Aliens just aren't convincing enough! However the actors do well in carrying the dodgy plot.

I enjoyed the first half of this series a lot. Even though is shares next to nothing with the book (if anything its closer to Day of the Triffids) the characters were original and much of the set up didn't go with the normal tropes and characters you see in this kind of programme.

But about half way through the story seems to stall and the whole thing is just spinning its wheels and going nowhere. I felt we needed a bit more investigation as to the what and the whys (I was hoping for some tripods too!)

The end of the final episode was just nonsensical, I guess it is supposed to make us want to learn more, but we have seen so little and so much of it is without explanation you feel more that the writers aren't sure what is happening any more than the audience.

None the less I enjoyed this so much more than the recent BBC adaptation which was itself very far from the book. I wonder if we will ever see a faithful adaptation of the novel in the period and place where it is set.